Improvement in reversible rotary steam-engines



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Reversible Rotary Steam-Engines.

No. 141,909l @fj PazemedAugust19,1873.

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No. 141,909. PatenredAugusugnan.

NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ORWIN ADAMS, OF BLACK HAWK, COLORADO TERRITORY.

IMPROVEMENT IN REVERSIBLE ROTARY STEAM-ENGINES.

Specication'formin g part of Letters Patent No. 141,909, dated August19, 1873 application led March 8, 1873.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ORWIN ADAMS, of Black Hawk, in the county of Gilpinand Territory of Colorado, have invented a new and useful Improvement inReversible Rotary Steam-Engine, of which the following is aspecification Figure 1, Sheet I, is a detail vertical longitudinalsection of my improved engine. Fig. 2, Sheet II, is a detail verticalcross-section of the same. Fig. 3, Sheet II, is a detail view of thecam.

Similar letters of reference indicate correspending parts.

My invention has for its object to furnish an improved rotarysteam-engine, simple in construstion and effective in operation, workingwith little friction, and which may be readily reversed, and will enablethe steam to be out off at any desired point of the stroke. Theinvention consists in the combination of circular and elliptical guideswith the pistons and shaft, and in the arrangement of mech-` anism foroperating the cut-oif valve.

A represents the induction-pipe, and B the exhaust. G is the throttle orreversevalve, which is placed in the valve-chest D, and is keyed to theshaft E. The shaft E works in bearings secured to the heads of thesteamchest l), with set-screws to relieve the pressure upon thevalve-seats. F are the induction and exhaust ports. G is the main shaft,to which is keyed the drum H, through slots in the face of which thepistons I move in and out. The shaft G works in cast-steel bearingstwice as long as the diameter of the said shaft, and made adjustablewith keys and gibs. The pistons I are bolted to yokes J, which work uponthe shaft G, the said shaft being slightly' flattened to receive them.To the pistons I and yokes J, at or near their point of intersection,are secured slides K, which move along the outer or convex surface ofthe circular guide L to force and hold the pistons I out, and along theinner or concave surface of the elliptical guide M to force and hold thepistons I in. The steel circular rings workin g against the metallicpacking in edge of the drum, are let into the heads of the cylinder orcase N, and are adjusted by set-screws. The part of the cylinder N abovethe -points of intersection of the guides L M is recessed, as shown inFig. 2, to allow the exhaust steam to escape freely around the edge ofthe pistons, as soon as they have completed their stroke. The steam isprevented from passing directly from one port, F, to the other by apacking, O, set in the cylinder N, and held against the drum by springs,as shown in Figs. l and 2. To the shaft G, at one end of the cylinder N,is secured a cam, P, which moves the bar Q downward by striking againsta pin and frictionroller attached to the said bar Q, The bar Q is movedupward gradually, as allowed by the cam4 P, by a spring, B, whichpresses against its lower end. The bar Q is slotted to receive and slideupon the spindle S and the shafts Gr E, and to its upper partis attacheda dog, T, which as the said bar Q, moves up ward gradually, strikesagainst a bar, U, looped around the shaft E, and sleeved around the barQ, and is thrown out vupon the toe of the bell-crank lever V, whichoperates the balanced valve W, so that as the bar Qis moved quicklydownward by the cam l? the dog T will operate the lever V, and open thevalve W suddenly' at the beginning of the stroke. As the valve W opensthe valve-stem X is caught and locked by the tappet or catch Y attachedto the lever Z. The lever Z is connected with the upper end of the barQ, so that as the said bar again gradually risesv the tappet Y will beraised from the valvcstem'X at the end of the stroke, when the valve Wwill be instantly closed by the action of a stiff spring, A. The longarm of the lever Z is attached to the governor-rod B', so that the valveW may be released' at some point between the beginning and end of thestroke, depending upon the speed of the engine. By placing a cuto in theports F the steam may be cut off at one-fifteenth or any other desiredpoint of the stroke.

To reverse the engine, the valve-works are thrown out of gear, and thecut-ofi' is thrown open by a lever, not shown in the drawing. Theengine, when reversed, Works at full stroke, and is regulated by thethrottlevalve. The cut-off may also be made reversible by an extra cam,frictionpulley, and lever arrangement.

In engines not requiring a governor the cut-off can be regulated by theengineer, and

in any case the governor-valve to regulate the case N, substantially asherein shown and deengine is done away With, which is important scribed.

Wheregstearn is used expansively. 2. In combination with the valve-stemX, Having thus described myinvention,I claim the spring A,be1lcranklever V, dog T, tripas new and desire to secure by Letters Patbar U, andreciprocating rod Q, as specied.

ent- ORWIN ADAMS.

1. The circular guide L and the elliptical Witnesses: p

guide M, in combination with the slides K, HAL. SAYR,

yokes J, pistons I, drum H, and cylinder or l J. N. NICHOLS.

